Then followed the two statements by Frank and by Lanky, both the same, for they had seen the same things.
Following this came the statements of the two policemen who had appeared on the scene after having been called.
Frank felt much relieved when the principal of the two did not make any allusions such as those which he had made at the Parsons place.
“Now, I’d like each of you to be prepared to answer questions,” the chief sat forward toward his desk, taking it by both sides with his hands in rather a pugnacious attitude, or one that was calculated to show that he meant business.
“First, how far, Mr. Allen, were you out in the river when you heard the cries of Mrs. Parsons?”
“I should say we were a hundred yards from shore.”
“How long did it take you to land and get to the house?” asked the chief.
“Perhaps five minutes, though one cannot very well guess at the time. We got to shore, tied, and ran through the underbrush, but it was very dark and we probably were longer than we might have been had it been daylight.”
Then the chief skipped over the whole narrative to the next question, which was one of opinion:
“If you were in my place, would you say the robbers were in the house when Mrs. Parsons got home or that they got in after she arrived home?”